1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for use in building 3-dimensional structures, connecting structural members such as elongate tubes or rods and/or panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
There has been a considerable increase in recent years in the use of spaceframes - three dimensional structures wherein elongate, and often flexible, rods or tubes are connected together by connecting members or `nodes`, and wherein each such connecting member may have several rods or tubes radiating from it in different directions. Panels can also be connected in this way. The components of such frames are usually made from lightweight materials such as plastics or aluminium. A particularly useful type of structure is the triangulated type from which a wide range of shapes such as domes and spheres can be made. Examples of known connectors are shown in EP-A No. 0164271, FR-A No. 2059876 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,539.
Connecting members which can connect a large number of structural members extending in three dimensions at a wide range of angles tend to be made up of a large number of parts, making them complicated to assemble. It is also necessary in many cases to take each connector apart in order to attach the structural members to its.